Saul meets Jesus

Think of a well-known person who seems the least likely person in the world ever to become a Christian. What would it take to change their mind completely?

In the AD 30s, if you had asked the Christians in Jerusalem who was least likely to join them, they would all have given the same answer: Saul of Tarsus. He wasn't just uninterested in Jesus. He was hunting down Jesus' followers. Then, on a road outside Damascus, he met the risen Jesus himself, and the church's fiercest enemy became its boldest messenger. You probably know him better by his other name: Paul.

What you'll learn

• Who Saul was before he met Jesus, and why he hated the church so much
• What Jesus' words to Saul show about how Jesus sees his people
• Why Saul's turnaround matters, both as evidence and as a picture of grace

Saul before

Why was Saul so against Jesus? The Old Testament law said that anyone hung on a tree was under God's curse (Deuteronomy 21:23). To Saul, a crucified Messiah was a contradiction. Jesus couldn't possibly be God's chosen king, so his followers must be dangerous blasphemers. Saul genuinely thought he was serving God.

On the road

As Saul neared Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around him.

"He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied." (Acts 9:4–5)

Look closely at what Jesus says. Saul thought he was attacking a movement. Jesus says Saul is attacking him. Jesus is so united with his people that what is done to them is done to him (compare Matthew 25:40). For Christians who suffer for their faith, that is a huge comfort: Jesus takes it personally.

Then Saul asks, "Who are You, Lord?" In that moment his whole worldview collapses. The crucified Jesus is alive, and he is Lord. And if Jesus rose, then the cross wasn't a curse that proved him a fraud. It was Jesus taking the curse for others (Galatians 3:13).

Saul, the man who thought he saw everything clearly, was left blind for three days and didn't eat or drink. Later, Paul listed this meeting as one of the appearances of the risen Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:8).

Ananias: the reluctant hero

Jesus then spoke to an ordinary believer in Damascus named Ananias and told him to go and find Saul. Ananias was honest about his fear: he had heard all about this man and what he had done. Jesus answered with his plan:

"‘Go!’ said the Lord. ‘This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.’" (Acts 9:15–16)

Ananias went anyway. His first word to Saul was "Brother" (Acts 9:17). The man who came to arrest Christians was welcomed into the family. Something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he was baptised. Later, when the believers in Jerusalem were too afraid to trust Saul, Barnabas, the "son of encouragement", stood up for him (Acts 9:26–27).

The turnaround

Straight away Saul began telling people in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. People were astonished: wasn't this the man who came to arrest Christians?

Here's a historical puzzle. Saul had status, education, a career and respect. He threw it all away to join the people he hated, and spent the rest of his life being beaten, jailed and eventually executed for it (2 Corinthians 11:23–27). What best explains that?

Years later, Paul wrote about himself:

"This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life." (1 Timothy 1:15–16)

Why would God choose someone like Saul as an example? Because if Jesus can save him, he can save anyone.

Not every story looks like this

Saul's story is dramatic, but most people's aren't, and that's fine. The Bible includes quieter stories too:

What matters isn't how dramatic someone's story is. What matters is meeting the same Jesus.

Key words

• Conversion: turning from one way of life to follow Jesus.
• Pharisee: a member of a Jewish group devoted to keeping God's law very strictly.
• "The Way": one of the earliest names for the followers of Jesus.
• Gentiles: people who are not Jewish.
• Grace: God's kindness to people who don't deserve it.

How this points to Jesus

Saul's story is really a story about Jesus: alive, Lord, united with his suffering people, and patient enough to turn his worst enemy into his greatest messenger. It shows that no one is beyond his reach.

Think about it

Take it further

Is there anyone you've written off as someone who could never change? (You don't need to name them, even to yourself.) What does Saul's story suggest about that? And if you've ever felt you've done too much wrong for God to accept you, read 1 Timothy 1:15–16 again slowly. It was written by someone who once felt the same.

A prayer you can pray if you want to:

Lord Jesus, thank you that no one is too far away for you to reach. Thank you for Saul's story, and for Ananias's courage. Help me to believe that you can change anyone, including me. Amen.

Your worksheet helps you build Saul's "before and after" profile and weigh up what best explains his change.